Nanotechnology Workshop: Speakers

3rd UTEN Workshop 2010 - Nanotechnology
Research Collaboration & Network Building for Commercialization in NanoSciences
University of Minho - 15-16 November, 2010
Program | Venue | Speakers | Reading Materials | Photos

Gabriel Aeppli

Quain Professor of Physics, University College London
Director of the London Centre for Nanotechnology

Prior to taking up these posts in the autumn of 2002, he was a Senior Research Scientist for NEC (Princeton), a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at Bell Laboratories, a Research Assistant at MIT, and an industrial co-op student at IBM. He obtained a B.Sc. in Mathematics and PhD, M.Sc. & B.Sc in Electrical Engineering from MIT. Honours include the APS Oliver Buckley Prize (2005), the IUPAP Magnetism Prize/Neel Medal(2003), Riso National Laboratory Fellow (2002), Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award (2002), Mildner Lecturer, Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, UCL (2002), Fellow of the American Physical Society (1997), Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (1996). In addition, he has been a member and chairman of many panels, sponsored by the USDOE, American Physical Society, EPSRC, and National Research Council (US), among others.

His personal research is currently focused on the implications of nanotechnology for information processing and health care.

André De Albuquerque

CEO at INNOVNANO and member of the Board of Directors at SEC and at YDreams Interactive Surfaces

André has 10 years of experience in the chemical industry and was the head of strategic planning and control at CUF. Innovnano is a subsidiary of CUF, centenary in the chemical industry. CUF is the largest Portuguese chemical group, with production facilities in Portugal and Spain.

Innovnano takes advantage of its unique and innovative proprietary process for the synthesis of micro and nano particles. Different synthesis conditions lead to different morphologies and physicochemical properties. Most synthesis gas phase processes use mild or high temperatures and atmospheric pressures. At Innovnano, we combine very high pressures with high temperatures and immediate quenching.

Ana Daniel

Executive Director, Technology Transfer Office, CICEO

Ana Daniel is the Executive Director of CICECO´s Technology Transfer Office, which is the largest national Associate Laboratory in the materials field, comprising ca. 400 staff people and operating at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. This Technology Transfer Office holds a staff of four people active in contract services with industry, including large and SMEs, patent management, business and spin-off development. During the last five years, this office has promoted ca. 70 research contracts with companies, 40 patents and several projects supported by both National and EU funding programmes. Ana Daniel had specific responsibility for the identification, capture, protection and commercialisation of intellectual property arising from the research activities of the various groups within CICECO. Also, she is currently Professor of Entrepreneurship and Project Management in the Economics, Management and Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Aveiro.

She is frequently invited as a speaker at conferences and workshops in technology transfer and entrepreneurship.

Ana Daniel (1975) has a PhD in Chemistry (University of Aveiro) where she studied the optimisation of pulp bleaching in order to improve the process of paper production, and an MBA degree from the University of Porto Business School. Her research led to several international publications and she was an invited speaker in several conferences in this research area. She joint CICECO in 2003, where she was responsible for the creation of the Technology Transfer Office.

From 2004-2008, she founded and served as CEO of FoodMetric SA, a spin-off company from CICECO and the Food Chemistry in the Organic Chemistry, Natural and Agro-Food Products Research Unit (Chemistry Department of the University of Aveiro). Under her leadership, in 2005, FoodMetric has won several awards: first prize at the National Entrepreneurship Contest promoted by CGD, first prize at the Entrepreneurship Contest promoted by AIBAP and the second prize at “Bioempreendedor” contest, promoted by APbio.

She was the 2008 recipient of the American Club of Lisbon award, due to a project in the area of Social Entrepreneurship.

Since 2007, she has been a board member of ASTP Course Committee (Association of European Science & Technology Transfer Professionals), and responsible for the design and implement courses to Technology Transfer professionals all over Europe.

Brian A. Korgel

Cockrell School of Engineering Temple Professor #1
Matthew Van Winkle Regents Professor of Chemical Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin

Focus: Developing new methods for synthesizing nanostructured materials, fabricating devices based upon these materials, and studying their properties.

Flexible Germanium Nanowires: Ideal Strength, Room Temperature Plasticity, and Bendable Semiconductor Fabric [PDF]
Damon A. Smith, Vincent C. Holmberg, and Brian A. Korgel (ACS Nano, 2010)

Abstract: We have developed a solvent-based approach to VLS-like growth of semiconductor nanowires, called supercritical fluid-liquid-solid (SFLS) growth, which enables the production of large amounts of nanowires. For example, more than 1g of Ge nanowires can be produced in a single reaction in a 250mL vessel. This approach provides enough material to explore new applications of semiconductor nanowires, like fibers and fabrics.

Nanowires of materials that are typically brittle, are flexible and strong, and can exhibit a distinctive combination of electronic, optical, andmechanical properties, important for a variety of new device technologies, including next generation flexible electronics, nano electromechanical systems (NEMS), piezoelectronics, and structural materials.

The large quantity of Ge nanowires produced by the SFLS method and their high flexibility allows for the fabrication of nonwoven ceramic fabric, or paper, of Ge nanowires.

Kirill Kuzmichev

Senior Investment Officer, RUSNANO
www.rusnano.com

The Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies (RUSNANO) was established in 2007 by the Federal law № 139-FZ to enable Government policy in the field of Nanotechnology. To accomplish this task, RUSNANO co-invests in nanotechnology industry projects that have high commercial potential or social benefit. Early-stage investment by RUSNANO lowers the risk of its investment partners from the private sector. RUSNANO participates in building nanotechnology infrastructure, which includes the nanotechnology centers of excellence, business incubators and early stage investment funds. RUSNANO provides scientific and educational programs that are required for its investment projects to succeed, and also supports the popularization of nanoscience and nanotechnology. RUSNANO selects promising spheres for investment based on longer-term foresight created by the leading Russian and world experts. To assist the Russian nanotechnology industry advance to the global market and strengthening of its international links RUSNANO develops partnerships with the leading nanotechnology centers in the world and organizes the annual Nanotechnology International Forum in Russia.

Luis M. Liz-Marzan

Professor, University of Vigo, Spain

BS degree from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain (1988)
PhD degree from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain (1992)
Postdoctoral researcher at Utrecht University, The Netherlands (1993-1995)
Assistant Professor at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain (1995)
Assistant Professor at the University of Vigo, Spain (1995-1997)
Titular Professor at the University of Vigo, Spain (1997-2005)
Visiting Professor at Tohoku University, Japan (2005)
Full Professor at the University of Vigo, Spain (Jan 2006-present)
Visiting Professor at University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), USA (2008)

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
Wilsmore Fellow in Chemistry (University of Melbourne), 2010
A. v.-Humboldt-J- C- Mutis Research Award, 2009
Physical Chemistry Award of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry, 2009
Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry since 2008
Senior Editor of the ACS journal for colloids and interfaces, Langmuir, since January 2009
Guest editor of a special issue of J. Mater. Chem. (October 2006) on “Anisotropic Nanomaterials”
Co-guest editor of a special issue of MRS Bulletin (December 2001) on “New Aspects of Nanocrystal Research”
Co-editor of the book “Nanoscale Materials”, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 2003
Co-author of over 200 journal articles and book chapters
20 cover images in major journals
More than 8000 citations
h-index = 50
Listed at ISI Essential Science Indicators since 2004 (current rankings: 903 for Chemistry, 290 for Materials Science)

Alexander Lösing (Executive VP Sales / CFO)

AZZURRO Semiconductors

Alexander Loesing, 34, has co-founded AZZURRO Semiconductors - a pioneer in supply gallium nitride on silicon wafers to the LED and power semiconductor industry. At AZZURRO he is responsible for business development and sales and also holds the job of Chief Finance Officer. Having graduated in economics at Royal Holloway College, University of London and writing his dissertation at a venture capital fund, Alexander was involved in several entrepreneurial activities as well as working for BMW in South Africa and other major companies during his school and university times. fter starting his career at Berlin Capital Fund, one of the major German venture capital companies, he co-founded First Tuesday Germany in 2000 and ran the local and national operations from Berlin. Before co-founding AZZURRO Semiconductors seven years ago and raising the funding for AZZURRO’s success, he was with two multi-million Euro expansion and business development projects were he was also raising several million Euro from shareholders and banks.

Lars Samuelson

Professor, Director/Coordinator of the Nanometer Structure Consortium at Lund University

Lars Samuelson obtained his Ph.D. in Solid State Physics at Lund University in 1977. After a post-doc at IBM Research Laboratories in San José, California, he returned to Lund in 1979. In 1986 he became Professor in Semiconductor Physics at Chalmers/Göteborg University and returned to the Physics Department of Lund University in 1988 to take up the Professorship in Semiconductor Electronics. He is the director of the Nanometer Structure Consortium, started in 1988, and today the primary center for Nanoscience in Sweden. He is the scientific leader of a Strategic Research Center “Nanowires for emerging nanoelectronics and life-science applications”, and of a major European R&D project called NODE, “Nanowire-based One-Dimensional Electronics”, with participation by leading European electronics industries, research institutes and academic research teams. In 2005, his research team was selected as one of the top-ten research environments in basic science in Sweden, with a research program called “Nanowires for Fundamental Materials Science and Quantum Physics and for Applications in Electronics, Photonics and in Life-Sciences”. Together with Stephanie Reimann, he is the leader the Linnaeus Center “Nanoscience and Quantum Engineering”. From January 1st, 2010, he holds the position as Coordinator of a major strategic research effort in the area of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, with the title nmC@LU (the Nanometer Structure Consortium at Lund University), engaging more than 100 scientists active in the three faculties: the Engineering Faculty, the Natural Science Faculty, and the Medical Faculty.

In 2001/2002 he took the initiative to create a new university degree program in “Engineering Nanoscience” at LTH/LU, which started in the fall 2003. This is, for Sweden, a unique 5-year education program, merging basic mathematics and physics with materials science, devices and life-sciencs, leading to focused Master-level studies in one of the areas: Nanobiosciences, Nanomaterials, Nanoelectronics/photonics or Nanophysics.

Lars Samuelson is internationally recognised for his research on low-dimensional structures and the physics and applications made possible by these structures. In the 1990s this primarily involved: (i) studies of self-assembly of quantum dots and studies of physical phenomena via single-quantum-dot spectroscopy, and (ii) the realization of quantum devices by manipulation of pre-fabricated nanostructures. In recent years his research has been directed towards new ways for the formation of ideal one-dimensional nanowires through self-assembly, their physical properties, and applications of semiconductor nanowires in electronics, photonics and the life-sciences.

Lars Samuelson is the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of three start-up companies engaged in technology development and commercialization of the nanowire technology, in QuNano AB, GLO AB and Sol Voltaics AB, all active in the Ideon Science Park in Lund. He is Fellow of the Institute of Physics, FinstP, in the United Kingdom, Fellow of the American Physical Society, Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. In 2008 he was appointed Einstein Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Samuelson is the author of about 500 articles in refereed journals and has given more than 200 plenary/invited talks at international conferences and workshops.

David Secher

David Secher is an independent consultant in the area of research commercialisation – in the UK and internationally. He is based in the University of Cambridge. He is also a non-executive director of CellCentric Ltd; a Life Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge; and a director of PraxisUnico (the technology transfer professional association). In 2002, together with Lita Nelsen of MIT, he founded Praxis (now PraxisUnico), the leading UK technology transfer training company. For his contributions to creating “environments that favour enterprise, specialising in the practical aspects of commercialising the results of academic research”, he received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in 2007.

Other previous roles include Chief Executive of the N8 Research Partnership (a collaboration of the eight most research-intensive universities in the North of England); Director of Research Services, University of Cambridge; Director of Drug Development, Cancer Research Campaign (now Cancer Research UK); and Director of Monoclonal Therapeutics, Celltech Ltd. As a consultant, he has advised universities, governments and individuals on commercialisation of intellectual property, as well as acting as non-executive director of high technology and investment companies.

Secher graduated from the University of Cambridge (Churchill College) with first class honours in biochemistry. His PhD work at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology was with the late César Milstein (Nobel Prize-winner for discovery of monoclonal antibodies). Together with Derek Burke, Secher made and patented the first monoclonal antibody to human interferon.

Paul Thurk

Partner, Arch Ventures

Electronics/Instrumentation • Optics • Semiconductors • Chemicals/Specialty Materials • Nanotechnology • Alternative Energy

Paul Thurk is a Partner with ARCH, joining in 2002 following a two-year Kauffman Fellowship with the Partnership. He focuses on solid-state lighting, semiconductors, advanced materials, nanotechnology, electronics and optoelectronics. Mr. Thurk was co-founder and initial CEO of InnovaLight, Inc. and CoolEdge Lighting, Inc. He has participated in the development of ARCH portfolio companies Cambrios, Kotura, Nitronex, and Semprius. Mr. Thurk has also been a key part of ARCH’s entrepreneur-in-residence programs at Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories.

Formerly, Mr. Thurk was a Director of Operations for NABS, a supplier of electronics components where he established operations on behalf of NABS in five countries and was responsible for setting-up business infrastructure, systems, personnel, and processes in each. In addition, Mr. Thurk developed and launched several innovative supply chain management programs. Mr. Thurk joined ARCH from SSM Ventures. Mr. Thurk holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.

António Vieira

CEO, CeNTI

António Vieira, CEO of CeNTI (Centre for Nanotechnology and Smart Materials) since November 2006, worked previously for seven years in CITEVE (Technological Centre for Textiles and Clothing of Portugal) as Technological Innovation Manager. He has over ten years of experience in technology, innovation and project management as well as development of novel materials, evolution processes, products and other technological opportunities and business entrepreneurship.

In recent years Vieira has acquired multiple international experiences, developing and managing creative and internationally competitive teams in the fields of smart and functional materials/systems. He holds the degree of Biological Engineering (University of Minho, Portugal), a Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Technologies (Wageningen University, the Netherlands),and is a Post-Graduated Project Manager Professional (PMP by the Project Management Institute).